The timing of this approval is significant as the Philippines has been engaged in a series of escalating maritime confrontations with China over disputed territories in the South China Sea. U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, have increasingly voiced support for Manila in countering Chinese maritime expansion. During his recent visit, Hegseth committed to “reestablish deterrence in the Indo-Pacific region,” calling attention to China’s growing assertiveness. Additionally, Philippine military leadership, including General Romeo Brawner, has publicly stated that a conflict in Taiwan would inevitably involve the Philippines, urging preparations for possible hostilities. Preparations for such scenarios have reportedly influenced the planning of joint U.S.-Philippine exercises, such as the annual “Balikatan” drills. These developments add urgency to the Philippine modernization program, of which the F-16 acquisition is a cornerstone.
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Tag: Close air support
Europe Hatches Plans for Ukraine Peacekeepers Without U.S.
Europe Hatches Plans for Ukraine Peacekeepers Without U.S.
Western allies are trying to hash out a bold European idea: sending 10,000 to 30,000 troops to Ukraine to help enforce any eventual peace deal with Russia.
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As things stand, the chance of this force ever heading to Ukraine is a long shot, says Bence Németh, a defense expert at King’s College London. European leaders say they will only send troops if there is a lasting peace in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin has so far ruled out signing a peace deal that includes Western forces in Ukraine.
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Here’s the “Security Backstop” Requested by the “Coalition of the Willing”
Zelensky describes exchange with Trump on nuclear power plant ‘ownership’
Zelensky said “ownership” was not discussed specifically, but that a U.S. role in controlling the plant was a “question of whether we are able to recover it and recover operations,” according to The Financial Times.
It wasn’t until I listened to Jim Jatras and Rachel Blevins discuss Trump’s interest in gaining control over the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant that it finally clicked for me. 🤦🏼♀️
Previously:
Trump offers to take control of Ukraine’s nuclear plants in call with Zelensky
“UK Following US’ Ukraine Plan, Not Undermining it…”:
Zelenskiy presses allies for security guarantees, foreign troops in Ukraine
March 15 (Reuters) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday he had urged Kyiv’s Western allies to give “a clear position” on security guarantees including about a potential foreign troop contingent on Ukrainian soil with a U.S. backstop.
His comments came after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer held a virtual call with other European leaders and allies, including Zelenskiy, where Starmer said a “coalition of the willing” would help secure Ukraine “on the land, at sea and in the sky” in the event of a peace deal with Russia.
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Starmer has also called for a U.S. security backstop to help secure a lasting peace between Russia and Ukraine in the three-year-old war.
“UK Following US’ Ukraine Plan, Not Undermining it…”
2 new Chinese warplanes could mean the end of US air superiority
As if not enough is going on in the world, the Chinese military has flown two new stealthy jets. Some military observers consider them a tangible threat to the U.S. One is a bomber and one is a fighter. Lexington Institute military analyst Rebecca Grant joined the Federal Drive with Tom Temin to discuss what it all means.
2 new Chinese warplanes could mean the end of US air superiority
Related:
Read More »US military, seeking strategic advantages, builds up Australia’s northern bases amid China tensions
DARWIN, July 26 (Reuters) – The U.S. military is building infrastructure in northern Australia to help it project power into the South China Sea if a crisis with China erupts, a Reuters review of documents and interviews with U.S. and Australian defence officials show.
US military, seeking strategic advantages, builds up Australia’s northern bases amid China tensions
Related:
US military eyes Australia’s Indian Ocean toehold to deter China
SYDNEY – A remote Australian island close to an Indian Ocean chokepoint for Chinese oil shipments is on a list of possible locations for US military construction aimed at deterring China, with the US saying it “may or may not” support American forces.
Australian-based Marines ready to support Manila in sea-territory skirmish
Australian-based Marines ready to support Manila in sea-territory skirmish
Australian-based Marines ready to support Manila in sea-territory skirmish
“We were given a warning order to support the Philippines defense forces in resupplying of the Second Thomas Shoal,” Marine Rotational Force — Darwin commander Col. Brian Mulvihill told Stars and Stripes on Wednesday at an Outback training camp in the Northern Territory.
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The Marines have been monitoring events at the shoal over a drone feed, Mulvihill said.
“We were ready to support the Philippine defense forces,” he said, noting that Marines across the Pacific are also ready to back the U.S. ally.
The rotational force can airlift food and water by pushing pallets out of helicopters, he added.
“We can control airspace and aircraft from many nations,” he said. “We provide a range of options if a host nation, through the embassy, requires assistance.”
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Darwin is an excellent platform for launching forces into Southeast Asia, according to Grant Newsham, a retired Marine colonel and senior researcher with the Japan Forum for Strategic Studies in Tokyo.
“It’s good to see Darwin and Northern Territory being used this way … rather than just as a training area for Marines, Air Force, and Australian and other forces,” he said by email Thursday.
The Marines can offer the Philippines fire support coordination. They can help with logistics and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and guard locations that support Philippine forces operating towards the disputed shoal, he said.
“Of course, Marines can deploy aboard Philippine resupply boats alongside [Philippine] personnel,” he said.
Marine engineers could repair the Sierra Madre at the shoal and Marine helicopters could resupply it, Newsham added.
“A U.S. amphibious ship or two with Marines and their aircraft and other hardware aboard deployed to Second Thomas Shoal would be a serious force — and also sending a clear message,” he said. “Deploying Marines in the Philippines with their aviation, long-range rockets, and other hardware has a political significance in itself.”
Related:
Japan Forum for Strategic Studies
South China Sea: Philippines says to solely run Second Thomas Shoal resupply missions
Russia’s “Civil War” Evaporates as Ukraine’s Offensive Enters Week 4
Bad News: NATO Tanks, Planes, And Artillery Unlikely To Win Ukraine War
There is still another factor that gets far too little consideration in Western press. The tanks Ukraine is counting on are not, in themselves, transformative technology that will greatly increase battlefield capabilities. In fact, the Leopard 2 and M1A1 Abrams have shown themselves vulnerable in combat.
Bad News: NATO Tanks, Planes, And Artillery Unlikely To Win Ukraine War
Ms. Cat’s Chronicles 